Isaka Cernak was another potential replacement to impress as he continued his comeback from a long stint on the sidelines following hip surgery.

The Glory have slumped to embarrassing 6-1, 5-1 and 3-0 defeats in the past three rounds, but looked a world away from those performances in the warm Perth heat on Sunday.

Attackers from both Perth and Central Coast were able to break the tight defence of their opposition in the first 20 minutes.

Nick Fitzgerald had Glory goalkeeper Jack Duncan beaten midway through the first half, but some quick thinking from Cernak ensured the home side retained their early advantage.

Duncan almost gifted the Mariners an easy goal when he spilled a shot from Patrick Dixon, but his quick hands were able to deny a swooping Adam Kwasnik.

Adrian Zahra left the pitch with a bloodied nose after an aerial collision with Fitzgerald, but returned late in the half and almost scored from a free-kick that would have given Glory a commanding 3-0 lead at the break.

Central Coast came out more desperate in the second half, but it was the Glory who made all the early plays.

Zahra's long-range attempt sailed over the bar while De Silva also looked dangerous before hobbling from the pitch.

Mariners substitute Steve Whyte combined well with veteran Kwasnik in the final 30 minutes, but the pair were unable to find the back of the net.